Turkish Coffee, Revisited

I recently posted a step-by-step guide to making the perfect cup of Turkish coffee.  This is a method my father taught me which produces fantastic results every single time.

However, upon viewing the post my father was unhappy to see that the picture I posted did not show the coffee's wesh (foamy top layer) as I had taken too long to take the picture and the wesh had dissolved.  Since as I had mentioned, we take our coffee very seriously over here, he insisted that I take another picture (and he made it himself this time)...

So, without any further ado, here are some updated pictures....

How to make Turkish Coffee: A Step by Step Guide

Us Egyptians take our Turkish coffee very seriously... It has to be prepared perfectly: the sugar has to be just right, it can't be too thick or too watery, and it has to have a "wesh" or "face" to it, meaning that when prepared correctly it should have a thin, lighter colored foamy layer on top.  If someone presents you coffee without this wesh then it means something went wrong in the process - it will probably taste just fine but like I said, we don't joke around when it comes to this Egyptian (or Turkish) beverage of choice.

Egyptians don't usually drink this coffee as an early morning caffeine boost (although let me tell you this coffee is strong and can serve this purpose if you wish) but we drink it later in the day to unwind.  This is not a starbucks-style "to go" kind of drink,  rather it is served in tiny cups and ever sip is to be savored and enjoyed.

Not only does this taste fantastic but you will love the way it makes your entire house smell - this coffee has a distinct and beautiful aroma.

My father taught me how to make the perfect Turkish coffee, and I am going to share the method with you.

To make one cup of Turkish coffee you will need a kanaka, or a turkish coffee pot and a small Turkish coffee cup like these (its hard to tell in the picture, but this cup is quite tiny and is actually usually smaller than this):

Egyptian Lemon Juice with Mint

Here's a refreshing beverage that compliments any light meal. The mint is always a pleasant surprise and is good to include because it has so many health benefits like relief for some respiratory disorders (you should always have mint on hand during these winter months) and promoting digestion. Mint really should be incorporated into more recipes -- I will try and post more main dishes with mint very soon to give you some ideas as it is used often in Middle Eastern cooking.

Anyways, back to the lemon juice... Egyptians have quite the sweet tooth so this recipe calls for a significant amount of of sugar. No worries though, you can reduce the amount if you prefer.

Also, if you use brown sugar you will end up with the same taste but the lemon juice will turn a weird muddy color which to be honest does not look very appetizing. I use white sugar for this purpose, but if you don't mind the funky color you can use brown sugar instead.


Ingredients:

10 small lemons, juiced
Handful of fresh mint (or more if you prefer)
1 cup white sugar
1.5 liters of water

This is easy: add the juice of the lemons and sugar to a blender. Blend. Add the water and mint. Blend some more. Add some ice cubes if you like. Drink and enjoy :)

Serves 4-6

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